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Abstract:

An assembly is provided and may include a cover defining an enclosed
inner space accessible through an opening for selectively receiving a
comforter including at least one side having a pair of flaps. The
assembly may further include at least one first retaining mechanism
disposed between the pair of flaps to selectively position the comforter
relative to the cover.

Claims:

1. An assembly comprising a cover defining an enclosed inner space
accessible through an opening for selectively receiving a comforter
including at least one side having a pair of flaps, and at least one
first retaining mechanism disposed between said pair of flaps to
selectively position said comforter relative to said cover.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of said flaps includes a
second retaining mechanism in selective engagement with said first
retaining mechanism when said first retaining mechanism is disposed
between said pair of flaps.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said flaps includes a second
retaining mechanism and said at least one first retaining mechanism
includes a pair of first retaining mechanisms, said second retaining
mechanisms in selective engagement with respective ones of said first
retaining mechanisms when said first retaining mechanisms are disposed
between said pair of flaps.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one first retaining
mechanism is attached to said cover.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first retaining mechanism is at
least one of a hook-and-loop fastener, a button, a snap, a magnet, tape,
and an adhesive.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first retaining mechanism
includes either a hook portion or a loop portion of a hook-and-loop
fastener and at least one of said pair of flaps includes the other of
said hook portion and said loop portion.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein at least one of said hook portion and
said loop portion includes a triangular shape.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one first retaining
mechanism is disposed at a corner of said cover.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one first retaining
mechanism includes a first retaining mechanism disposed at each corner of
at said cover.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one first retaining
mechanism is disposed at an edge of said cover.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said flaps are formed by folding a
corner of the comforter inward on itself to form a pocket lined with a
substrate mounting said retaining mechanism.

12. An assembly comprising: a cover enclosing a comforter within an inner
space accessible through a selectively closable opening; an access
portion of said cover spaced apart from said opening and movable between
a closed position and an open position; a closure mechanism for
selectively retaining said access portion in said closed position; at
least one retaining mechanism to retain said comforter relative to said
cover and accessible when said access portion is in said open position.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said retaining mechanism is hidden
from view when said access portion is in said closed position.

14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said retaining mechanism is
attached to said cover.

15. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said retaining mechanism is at
least one of a hook-and-loop fastener, a button, a snap, a magnet, tape,
and an adhesive.

16. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said retaining mechanism includes
either a hook portion or a loop portion of a hook-and-loop fastener and
said comforter includes the other of said hook portion and said loop
portion.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein at least one of said hook portion
and said loop portion includes a triangular shape.

18. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said at least one retaining
mechanism is disposed at a corner of said cover.

19. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said at least one retaining
mechanism includes a retaining mechanism disposed at each corner of said
cover.

20. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said at least one retaining
mechanism is disposed along an edge of said cover.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
No. 61/122,565, filed on Dec. 15, 2008. The entire disclosure of the
above application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to bedding. More
particularly, the present disclosure relates to a device for retaining a
comforter inside of a cover.

BACKGROUND

[0003] This section provides background information that is not
necessarily prior art.

[0004] Comforters, quilts, and the like ("comforters") have long been used
to keep a user warm, especially during sleep. Generally, these comforters
are large and rectangular in shape and correspond to standard bed sizes
(e.g., twin, queen, king, etc.). Modern consumers are increasingly
interested in quickly and easily changing the appearance and design of a
room. A comforter cover (generally, "cover") may be placed over the
comforter to quickly and easily change decorative appearance. The duvet
cover provides protection and allows for prolonged use of the comforter.
The cover may be easily removed from the comforter for laundering. Once
removed, the cover is smaller than a comforter because of the lack of
filling, and is more easily laundered.

[0005] In order to maintain the ability for installation and removal, the
cover should not be permanently fastened to the comforter. The lack of
attachment, however, may cause the comforter to bunch or ball inside of
the cover while in use. Further, when installing the comforter inside of
the cover, it may be difficult to find and match the corners and retain
them in place.

SUMMARY

[0006] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is
not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0007] An assembly is provided and may include a cover defining an
enclosed inner space accessible through an opening for selectively
receiving a comforter including at least one side having a pair of flaps.
The assembly may further include at least one first retaining mechanism
disposed between the pair of flaps to selectively position the comforter
relative to the cover.

[0008] In another configuration, an assembly may include a cover enclosing
a comforter within an inner space accessible through a selectively
closable opening. An access portion of the cover may be spaced apart from
the opening and may be movable between a closed position and an open
position. A closure mechanism may selectively retain the access portion
in the closed position. At least one retaining mechanism used to retain
the comforter relative to the cover may be accessible when the access
portion is in the open position.

[0009] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. The description and specific examples in
this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not
intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

[0010] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of
selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not
intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a covering arrangement in use on a
bed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cover and comforter in accordance
with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the cover of FIG. 2;

[0014] FIG. 3A is a detailed perspective view of a second embodiment of
the cover of FIG. 2;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the comforter of FIG. 2;

[0016] FIG. 4A is a detailed perspective view of a second embodiment of
the comforter of FIG. 2;

[0017] FIG. 4B is a detailed perspective view of the second embodiment of
the comforter of FIG. 2 including a fastening mechanism;

[0018] FIG. 4C is a detailed perspective view of the comforter of FIG. 2;

[0019] FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view of the comforter of FIG. 2;

[0020] FIG. 4E is a cross-sectional view of the comforter of FIG. 2
including an alternate construction of a retaining mechanism;

[0021] FIG. 4F is a partial top view of a cover for use with the comforter
of FIG. 2;

[0022] FIG. 5 is a top view of a modular comforter;

[0023] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a cover in
accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 7 is a detailed perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a
cover in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 8 is a detailed perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a
cover in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of a cover and
comforter in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure; and

[0027] FIG. 10 is a top view of the covering arrangement of FIG. 1 in
association with a sheet in accordance with the teachings of the present
disclosure.

[0028] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts
throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not
intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should
be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference
numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features throughout the
several views of the drawings.

[0030] Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the
art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific
components and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of
embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that
example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that
neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some
example embodiments, well-known processes and well-known structures are
not described in detail.

[0031] Referring now to FIG. 1, a cover assembly is shown and generally
indicated by reference numeral 10. The (cover) assembly 10 is shown
operatively associated with a bed 12. The bed 12 as illustrated in FIG. 1
is depicted as a standard queen-sized bed (i.e., dimensions=87''
width×87'' length), but it is understood that the covering
arrangement 10 may be sized to accommodate any bed, such as, but not
limited to, twin-sized beds, king-sized beds, and toddler-sized beds. It
should also be noted that the teachings of the present disclosure may be
applied to numerous other coverings, such as throw blankets, picnic
blankets, pillows, etc. In this regard, it will be understood that the
particular (cover) assembly 10 shown in the various drawings is merely
exemplary in nature.

[0032] With continued reference to FIG. 1 and additional reference to FIG.
2, the (cover) assembly 10 includes a comforter 14 enveloped by a cover
16. While the cover 16 is depicted as enclosing the comforter 14, it
should be understood that the cover 16 may cover any woven or non-woven
material including a quilt or a fleece, microfiber, or wool sheet, any of
which may include an insulative material. The cover 16 may be formed as a
single sheet, or may include multiple sheets joined together, as
described and shown, but is merely exemplary in nature.

[0033] In a first embodiment as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover 16
includes a top cover 18, a bottom cover 20, a closing mechanism 24, and a
retaining mechanism 26. The top cover 18 and the bottom cover 20 may be
formed unitary as a single sheet, or joined at a bottom edge 28 and side
edges 30. A bottom cover top edge 32 and a top cover top edge 34 may each
contain one-half of the closing mechanism 24 for selectively fastening
the top edges 32, 34 to retain the comforter 14. The closing mechanism 24
is a button-and-hole type with buttons 36 sewn along one of the bottom
cover top edge 32 and top cover top edge 34 and mating holes 38 located
along the other of the bottom cover top edge 32 and top cover top edge
34. The closing mechanism 24, however, may be of any type known in the
art, such as, for example, zip-type, snap, magnetic or hook-and-loop
closures, but not limited thereto. The retaining mechanism 26 assists in
locating and fixing the comforter 14 within the cover 16 as will be
further described below.

[0034] The retaining mechanism 26 may be a generally triangular-shaped
swatch of fabric 40 having a first half of triangular-shaped
hook-and-loop closure 42 fastened therewith. It should be understood that
while the retaining mechanism 26 and the hook-and-loop closure 42 are
described as having a triangular-shape, other shapes may also be used,
such as, for example, trapezoidal, circular, rectangular, etc. Further,
while the retaining mechanism 26 is described as having the swatch of
fabric 40 and the hook-and-loop closure 42, other materials are
contemplated, such as a soft plastic in place of the fabric 40 and/or a
snap, a hook and eye, a button and hole, sticky tape, a string and tie, a
loop, a clip, or a claw in place of the closure 42. Alternatively, the
hook-and-loop closure 42 may be directly joined to the cover 16 without
use of the fabric 40.

[0035] The swatch of fabric 40 may be attached along a first side 44
between the top cover 18 and the bottom cover 20 at the side edge 30. A
second side 46 of the swatch of fabric 40 may be substantially aligned
with the bottom cover top edge 32 and the top cover top edge 34. The
bottom cover top edge 32 and the top cover top edge 34 may be fastened
through a distance, which corresponds to the length L (FIG. 3) of the
second side 46 of the swatch of fabric 40.

[0036] Additional swatches of fabric 40 having the first half of
hook-and-loop closure 42 may be placed at all four corners 47 of the
cover 16 to secure the comforter 14 relative to at least one of the top
cover 18 and bottom cover 20. If four swatches of fabric 40 are employed
with one swatch of fabric 40 disposed at each corner 47, two of the
swatches of fabric 40 will be aligned with side edges 30 and edges 32, 34
and the other two swatches of fabric 40 will be aligned with side edges
30 and edge 28. The swatches of fabric 40 may be fastened to the top
cover 18 and/or to the bottom cover 20. The top cover 18 and bottom cover
20 are then fastened together to form the cover 16.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 4, the comforter 14 will be described in
greater detail. The comforter 14 may be formed unitary, such as a
nonwoven fabric, or as shown, may include a top fabric 48 joined to a
bottom fabric 50 packed with an insulating material 49, such as polyfil,
down, fleece, silk, etc., disposed therebetween. The top fabric 48 and
bottom fabric 50 may be fastened along each edge 54 to retain the
insulating material 49 between the top fabric 48 and bottom fabric 50. A
second, mating half of triangular-shaped hook-and-loop closure 56 may be
fastened at corners 58 of the comforter 14 and positioned to engage the
hook-and-loop closure 42 of at least one of the top cover 18 and bottom
cover 20 of the cover 16. The comforter 14 is shown dimensionally
equivalent, but slightly smaller than the cover 16.

[0038] In operation, the first half of hook-and-loop closure 42 and the
second half of hook-and-loop closure 56 are joined so that the corners 58
of the comforter 14 are removably retained inside of the cover 16 at one
or more corners 47 of the cover 16.

[0039] While the first and second halves of hook-and-loop closure 42, 56
are described as being substantially triangular in shape, other shapes
may be used. For example, the first and second halves of hook-and-loop
closures 42, 56 may include long rectangular strips, crescents,
half-circles, and/or circular dots. Additionally, the retaining mechanism
26 may be placed at fixed points on the top 32, 34; edge 28; and/or side
edges 30 of the cover 16. For example, the retaining mechanism 26 may be
located at the perimeter or may be staggered at fixed points along the
interior of the cover 16.

[0040] With reference to FIGS. 3A and 4A, a second embodiment of the
present disclosure may include the swatch of fabric 40 of the retaining
mechanism 26 with a hook-and-loop closure 142 on both a top and a bottom
surface 143, 145. Alternately, the hook-and-loop closure 142 may be
double-sided, thereby omitting the swatch of fabric 40. In either case,
the hook-and-loop closure 142 may include either hook on both top and
bottom surfaces 143, 145, loop on both top and bottom surfaces 143, 145,
or hook on one and loop on the other surface 143, 145.

[0041] The comforter 114 includes flaps 157 including mating hook-and-loop
closures 156 disposed along opposing inner surfaces 149 (FIG. 4C). In
operation, the flaps 157 close around the double-sided hook-and-loop
closure 142 to position the comforter 114 relative to the cover 16 (FIG.
4E). The flaps 157 may alternatively be formed by folding a corner of the
comforter 114 in on itself and positioning a substrate 151 along the
folded corner. The substrate 151 may be stitched to the folded corner to
aid in retaining the shape of the folded corner (FIG. 4D). Once the
substrate 151 is attached to the folded corner of the comforter 114, the
hook-and-loop closures 156 may be attached to the substrate 151. In one
configuration, the substrate 151 is a swatch of fabric. While a swatch of
fabric is disclosed, the substrate 151 could alternatively be formed from
any material that provides the folded corner of the comforter 114 with
reinforcement such as, for example, plastic.

[0042] The comforter 114 of the second embodiment may also incorporate a
fastening mechanism 115. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B the fastening
mechanism 115 may be a swatch of mating hook-and-loop closure fastened
towards a corner 117 along the inner surface 149 of the flaps 157 (e.g.,
located about 7.5 mm from the corner). In this way, the flaps 157 may
remain closed for use in a standard designed duvet cover. While the
swatch of mating hook-and-loop closure has been shown, it should be
understood that other devices for closing the flaps 157 may be used. For
example, the flaps 157 may retain an appropriately shaped, double-sided
hook-and-loop closure swatch or may incorporate a magnetic closure,
snaps, lacing, buttons, zip-type closure, etc.

[0043] While the second embodiment depicts the double-sided hook-and-loop
closure 142 as being substantially triangular in shape and located at the
corners 147 of the cover 116, it is also contemplated to use rectangular
double-sided hook-and-loop closure fabric strips 142 placed along the
perimeter of the flaps 157 or along the various edges 128, 132 of the
cover 116. In the embodiment where the rectangular double-sided
hook-and-loop closure fabric strips 142 are placed along the various
edges 128, 132 of the cover 116, the flaps 157 may be located along
corresponding edges 154 of the comforter 114 (FIG. 4F).

[0044] The double-sided hook-and-loop closure 142 may also be fastened,
instead, to the comforter 114. In this case, the shape of the flaps 157
would be included on the corresponding edges 128, 132 or corners 147 of
the cover 116.

[0045] With reference to FIG. 5, a modular comforter system 214 may be
used within the cover 16. In this way, a first portion 260 of the modular
comforter system 214 may be of a different weight or loft than a second
portion 262 of the modular comforter system 214 (e.g., 300 fill and 800
fill). The first and second portions 260, 262 may be separated along a
seam 263 or, alternatively, may be fastened to each other along a length
264, such as by a hook-and-loop fastener, button-and-hole closures,
sewing, a zipper, etc. This modular comforter system 214 provides
multiple and differing insulative properties to the comforter system 214
while utilizing the same cover 16. A heating and/or cooling element 266
may be incorporated into the modular comforter system 214 in either the
first or second portions 260, 262 or in both portions 260, 262 to obtain
even greater temperature ranges.

[0046] Similar to the comforter 14, the modular comforter system 214
includes a second half of triangular-shaped hook-and-loop closure 256
fastened at corners 258 of the modular comforter system 214. The first
and second portions 260, 262 each include two of the triangular-shaped
hook-and-loop closures 256, so that the modular comforter system 214
resembles the comforter 14. The modular comforter system 214 can then be
attached within the cover 16 to obtain the benefits of retention, as
previously noted.

[0047] With reference to FIG. 6, a third embodiment of the present
disclosure will be described. A cover 316 includes a top cover 318, a
bottom cover 320, a closing mechanism (not shown), and a retaining
mechanism 326. The top cover 318 and the bottom cover 320 may be fastened
at a bottom edge 328 and side edges 330. A top edge 332 may utilize the
closing mechanism for temporarily fastening the top edge 332 to retain
the comforter 14, 114, 214, as previously described.

[0048] The top cover 318 may include generally semi-circular-shaped access
portions such as opening flaps 368 disposed proximate to each corner 370.
The access portions may be moved between an open position and a closed
position. When in the closed position, the access portions may engage a
closure mechanism to retain the access portion in the closed position. In
one configuration, the closure mechanism is a hook-and-loop closure 372,
whereby the opening flaps 368 may have a first half of the hook-and-loop
closure 372 along an outer perimeter 374, while a mating half of
hook-and-loop closure 376 is located at the associated corner 370. The
mating half of hook-and-loop closure 376 may be attached to the bottom
cover 320. The retaining mechanism 326 may again be a substantially
triangular-shaped swatch of fabric 340 having a first half of
triangular-shaped hook-and-loop closure 342 fastened therewith. However,
the swatch of fabric 340 may also be omitted and the first half of
substantially triangular-shaped hook-and-loop closure 342 may be fastened
to the bottom cover 320 or, alternatively, the double-sided hook-and-loop
closure 142 may be used and attached, as previously described.

[0049] After installing the comforter 14, 114, 214 within the cover 316,
the opening flaps 368 are pulled open and the second half of
hook-and-loop closure 56, 156, 256 is joined with the first half of
hook-and-loop closure 142, 342 at the comforter corners 58, 258. The
opening flaps 368 are then closed during use of the covering arrangement
310. Alternately or additionally, the retaining mechanism 326 may
incorporate a magnetic closure, snaps, lacing, buttons, zip-type closure,
etc., to secure the comforter 14, 114, 214 to the cover 316.

[0050] In a fourth embodiment depicted in FIG. 7, access portions such as
opening flaps 468 are located at corners 470. The access portions may be
moved between an open position and a closed position. When in the closed
position, the access portions may engage a closure mechanism to retain
the access portion in the closed position. In one configuration, the
closure mechanism is a hook-and-loop closure, whereby a first half of
hook-and-loop closure 480 is located on a bottom cover 420 of the cover
416 and is attached along an outer perimeter 482. A mating half of
hook-and-loop closure 484 is located on a top cover 418 of the cover 416
along an outer perimeter 486. While the first half of hook-and-loop
closure 480 is substantially triangular-shaped, the mating half of
hook-and-loop closure 484 is substantially V-shaped and follows the outer
perimeter 486. In this way, the comforter 14, 114, 214 may be attached to
an inner portion 488 of the first half of hook-and-loop closure 480,
while the mating half of hook-and-loop closure 484 may be attached to an
outer portion 490 of the first half of hook-and-loop closure 480.

[0051] Referring now to FIG. 8, a fifth embodiment is provided and may
include access portions such as flaps 568 located at corners 570. The
access portions may be moved between an open position and a closed
position. When in the closed position, the access portions may engage a
closure mechanism to retain the access portion in the closed position. In
one configuration, the closure mechanism is a hook-and-loop closure,
whereby a first half of hook-and-loop closure 580 may be attached along
an outer perimeter 582 of both a bottom cover 520 and a top cover 518 of
a cover 516. A mating half of hook-and-loop closure (not shown) is
located on top and bottom surfaces (not shown) of the comforter 14, 114,
214. Attachment of the bottom cover 520 to the bottom surface of the
comforter 14, 114, 214 and the top cover 518 to the top surface of the
comforter 14, 114, 214 effectively closes the opening flaps 568.

[0052] With reference to FIG. 9, a sixth embodiment of a cover 616
including dual closing mechanisms 624 on either side edge 630 is shown.
While the closing mechanisms 624 are shown as button-and-hole type
closures as described with respect to the first embodiment, any closing
mechanism may be substituted. Dual closing mechanisms 624 on the side
edges 630 provide immediate access to the interior corners 692 of the
cover 616.

[0053] Additional notable features may be incorporated into the cover 16,
116, 316, 416, 516, 616 of the present disclosure. With respect to
material, the bottom cover 20, 320, 420, 520, 620 of the cover 16, 116,
316, 416, 516, 616 may be a water-repellant material (e.g., plastic,
polyurethane laminate (PUL)) for use in a wet or damp environment. The
bottom cover 20, 320, 420, 520, 620 and the comforter 14, 114, 214 may
also be formed from a wicking material (e.g., microfiber, fleece, wool)
for use in a damp environment. The wicking material allows for drying of
bedding, while still providing warmth to the user. The fabric swatch 40
may also be padded for user comfort. For example, the fabric swatch 40
may be a pillow-like feature with interior padding for added user
comfort.

[0054] While hook-and-loop closure has been described for use in fastening
the comforter 14, 114, 214 to the cover 16, 116, 316, 416, 516, 616, any
fastening mechanism may be used in place of or in addition to the
hook-and-loop closure, such as, for example, magnetic strips, snaps,
zippers, lacing, buttons, etc., to attach the comforter 14, 114, 214 to
the cover 16, 116, 316, 416, 515, 616.

[0055] The present disclosure may also be incorporated with existing
pre-owned comforters and/or duvets through a kit including the
hook-and-loop closures 42, 56. The user may attach the hook-and-loop
closures 42, 56 to the pre-owned comforter and/or duvet cover, so that
the benefits described in the present application can be realized on
existing bedding. Attachment methods may include any fastening mechanism
such as adhesives, stitching, tacking, etc. In one example, a
tension-style clamp having padded ends (not shown) may be fastened to the
existing pre-owned comforter to allow for attachment to any of the duvet
cover designs as described herein.

[0056] It is also noted that a cover 616 of the present disclosure may
further include a button arrangement 692 at a bottom edge 628, as shown
in FIG. 10. Corresponding holes 694 are found on sheets 696. Attachment
of the buttons 692 to the holes 694 prevents the sheets 696 from moving
during use. The button-and-hole arrangement 692, 694 as described may
also allow for ease in positioning the sheets 696 relative to the bed 12.
It is contemplated that the buttons 692 and holes 694 may be reversed so
that the buttons 692 are instead found on the sheets 696. The buttons 692
and holes 694 may be also located along the edges 630 of the cover 616.
Magnetic strips, snaps, zippers, lacing, hooks, or buttons may be
alternatively or additionally used to prevent movement of the sheets 696.

[0057] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for
purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of
a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular
embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in
a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The
same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be
regarded as a departure from the teachings or disclosure, and all such
modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the
invention.